


What He Deserves

by aravenwood



Series: Isaac's Happy Ending [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Canonical Child Abuse, Child Abuse, Gen, Good Friend Stiles Stilinski, Hurt Isaac Lahey, Isaac Lahey Feels, Protective Sheriff Stilinski, Strangulation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-15
Updated: 2018-06-15
Packaged: 2019-05-23 21:17:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14941547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aravenwood/pseuds/aravenwood
Summary: Sequel to "Father and Son".Sheriff Stilinski realises the true extent of Isaac's suffering and makes sure Coach Lahey gets what he deserves.





	What He Deserves

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, so this was written for the prompt "strangling" on my Bad Things Happen Bingo card! It finally gave me the inspiration I needed to write a sequel to "Father and Son". Better late than never, right?
> 
> Hope you like it!

Sheriff Stilinski pulled up outside the Lahey household, silently hating how ordinary it was with its freshly cut grass and general homeliness. It was a little too much like his own house, and that wasn’t right with what went on behind that door. A household like the Laheys wasn’t meant to look this pleasant and inviting.

It had been a few weeks since Isaac was released from hospital with instructions to take it easy. No strenuous activities. No hard work. But Sheriff Stilinski had seen him at work only a few days later, digging a grave and massaging his chest like he couldn’t breathe. The work was as far from bedrest as he could possibly get. And it seemed like work wasn’t the only part of his life that he was powering through; Stiles had reported seeing Isaac at lacrosse training, fear in his eyes whenever Coach Finstock asked him how he was doing. The fear only grew when it was suggested that he take a break.

Stiles was as involved in this investigation as Noah now. he didn’t know Isaac that well, but that didn’t mention he wasn’t afraid for the other boy’s safety and would do what he could to ensure that he no longer had to be.

Running a hand through his hair, Noah climbed out of his car and slammed the door behind him. He took a deep breath and headed for the front door, then rapped his knuckles on the wood. A minute passed and no one answered. He knocked again. Nothing. But he could hear voices from inside – or more specifically a single voice, loud and angry and familiar. Coach Lahey. He couldn’t hear Isaac.

Noah knew he couldn’t just bust in, not when Lahey would be easily able to pretend nothing had happened. Instead he circled around to the side of the house and peered in the nearest window, but all he could see was an empty living room so he headed to the back instead, grateful that the gate was unlocked so he wouldn’t have to climb over.

As soon as he reached the back window, his heart leapt into his throat. He hadn’t realised it was this bad.

Mr Lahey was on the floor with his son, knees on either side of Isaac’s hips so he was unable to escape. His face was red from screaming, his voice so loud it could be heard even through the glass – “what did you think was going to happen? I’m your father, I can do what I want to you!” And his hands…his hands were wrapped around Isaac’s throat, pushing him into the ground and stopping him from taking a single breath. Isaac was squirming, twisting and clawing at his father’s hands. His motions, though, were weak and sluggish, his mouth open like a fish caught on land. His lips were blue.

“Hey!” In a matter of seconds, Noah was at the back door, slamming one foot into the wood surrounding the lock. He had to get in there, he had to or Lahey was going to kill Isaac. Noah wasn’t going to allow that, he wasn’t, and that determination became strength as one more kick had the door flying open and smacking against the nearby kitchen cabinet. It was loud enough that it startled Coach Lahey into removing his hand, and Isaac let out a beautiful, desperate gasp for air.

Coach Lahey glanced at Isaac for a quick second before he straightened up, wiping his hands on the nearby dishtowel. “Sheriff Stilinski, I hope you have a good reason for breaking into my house and breaking my door in the process,” he sneered as if Sheriff Stilinski was the one in the wrong, as if choking Isaac almost to death was totally normal and not a criminal offence.

Sheriff Stilinski clenched his fists at his sides, sending Mr Lahey a disgusted glare as he circled around the edge of the table to reach Isaac’s side. “It’s alright, you’re safe now,” he told the boy and reached out a hand to help him sit up. It was only at the last moment that he remembered all the flinches from the hospital and pulled back. Isaac had been through enough already without being terrified of someone trying to help.

“Sheriff Stilinski?” Isaac croaked as he pushed himself upright and shuffled backwards until his back was against one of the cabinets – and he had both men in his direct line of sight, Sheriff Stilinski couldn’t help but notice with a wince.

“It’s alright,” Noah repeated. Seeing how clearly uncomfortable Isaac was with his scrutinising gaze, the sheriff turned back to Coach Lahey. His eyes narrowed in a glare, he pulled out his phone and dialled the station. They never left the man’s, not for a second, as he called for backup; not because he didn’t think he could handle Lahey on his own but rather because he didn’t want to leave Isaac alone while he took the boy’s father to the station. This could have been stopped if he’d acted earlier, Isaac could be a normal teenager and not the frightened boy he was now. So of course Sheriff Stilinski was feeling responsible for him.

He dragged one of the kitchen chairs out and gestured to it with a closed fist. “Sit,” he growled. Lahey looked ready to argue but the moment Noah reached for his handcuffs, the man’s eyes widened and he dropped heavily into the seat. He didn’t look nearly ashamed as he should given the circumstances, and even had the nerve to glare at Isaac as if this was all his fault. Noah had to consciously restrain himself just so he wouldn’t punch the bastard for it, settling for a glare that didn’t express nearly the level of rage he needed.

Coach Lahey glanced once at Noah and his eyes narrowed dangerously. “You have no right to be here,” he sneered.

“Shut up.”

“This is my house, you can’t just -.”

“Shut. Up.”

The man finally took the hint and fell silent, although anger was still apparent by the way he had his fists clenched on top of the table and he wouldn’t stop glaring at the sheriff. He remained this way until sirens filled the air, getting louder and louder and stopping only when the car pulled up outside the house. A few seconds later there was a knock at the door.

“Isaac,” Noah started, and the teenage boy immediately turned dull eyes on him. The fear was gone at least, although maybe the numb expression was even worse. “Can you open the door for my men?”

Isaac sent his father a quick glance, then tightened his jaw as he climbed to his feet. He swayed dangerously and reached out to clutch at the edge of one of the cabinets, and he squeezed his eyes shut and tried to breathe. The half-formed bruises on his neck were apparent now, as was the quiet wheeze in each breath. He’d gone pale and Sheriff Stilinski feared he was about to faint – not that he would blame Isaac, this was a tough situation for a teenage boy to go through and he really was due a traumatic reaction.

So he had to give credit to Isaac just for pushing on, and his lips quirked into a small smile as the boy staggered out of the kitchen, one trembling hand massaging his neck.

Sheriff Stilinski stayed silent until Isaac was gone, then turned his glare on Mr Lahey. “It takes a real sick bastard to abuse your own kid like that. Kids are loyal to their parents and that should go both ways. I would do anything – _anything_ – to protect my son. I’d die for him. Parenting shouldn’t be about controlling your son, it should be about loving him. What would your wife say if she saw what you did to that boy? What would his brother say?” he growled in a low, threatening voice. He would never understand men like Lahey, would never be able to figure out how someone could be so cruel to their own son.

He wondered how long this had gone on for. How much of Isaac’s life had been spent in fear or pain? He remembered Melissa mentioning that he’d been admitted with his first major injury when he was eleven, but what about before that? A lot of cases he’d seen started small – a push here, a threat there, a hand squeezing a little too tight – and grew more dangerous as time went on and as the abuser grew in confidence. How could someone put their own son through that? How could someone put anyone through it?

Coach Lahey didn’t speak. He wouldn’t even look away from the door Isaac had disappeared through, as if he was trying to exercise his power even now. It was only when his son returned with a pair of officers behind him that the man’s expression flickered. For once he looked afraid. It was like he’d only just realised that he’d been caught and with Noah as a witness, there was no way to deny what he’d done and what he’d been doing for years. He lifted desperate eyes to Sheriff Stilinski. “You’ve no right, you can’t do this. Whatever the boy’s told you, he’s lying, he always lies, he just likes the attention,” he spluttered. The officers ignored him and dragged him to his feet, twisting his arms behind his back and cuffing his wrists together. As one of them read out his rights, Coach Lahey continued to protest. “Isaac, you tell them they got it wrong, you tell them what we were really doing! Tell them Isaac!”

Isaac froze. He was trembling, and he had his arms wrapped around himself like he could physically hold himself together and stop the breakdown that was almost inevitable considering everything. His eyes met his father’s as the officers started to push him towards the sitting room.

Tell them!”

The officers stopped, eyes on Isaac. Sheriff Stilinski wanted to intervene but didn’t; the grip on Coach Lahey was a secure one, and the man wasn’t stupid enough to fight now with the accusations he was already facing. And besides, Isaac needed this. He couldn’t feel like everything that had happened was against his will. He needed to have that choice.

A few seconds passed in which Isaac held his father’s gaze, a silent conversation going on between the two. But then Isaac looked away and Coach Lahey exploded. “You coward! You tell them the truth right now, you tell them what you did to this family! It’s your fault, it’s all your fault, and now I have to suffer for what you did! Coward, you tell them -!” His voice cut off abruptly as the officers pushed him through the door to the sitting room, and a few moments later he was gone.

Isaac’s gaze remained fixed on the door for several more minutes, in which time Sheriff Stilinski didn’t disturb him. He watched non-judgmentally as the trembling increased, then lessened and finally stopped altogether. Isaac finally stirred, lowering his head and lifting his hands to his eyes. He threw his head back, pushed his hands into his eyes as if he wanted to reach in and grab them, and sighed.

“Isaac?”

“What happens now?” Isaac mumbled. His throat sounded raw

Sheriff Stilinski offered him a sympathetic smile. “Well -.”

“Don’t take me into care!” the boy suddenly begged, his eyes wide and terrified. “Please, I don’t want to end up with strangers, I can look after myself. Please. Please I’m almost sixteen I’ll be ok on my own just please don’t -.”

“Isaac!”

He flinched.

Softening his voice, Sheriff Stilinski continued, “it’s the best place for you, they can help you there, give you what you need and they can put you with a new family.” He held his hand up to silence Isaac before he could argue, trying his best to ignore the flinch which came with the gesture. “ _But_ …Stiles is worried about you and I think he would feel a lot more comfortable if I proved to him that you’re alright. So what do you think of spending the night there and we can sort everything in the morning?”

Isaac’s eyes widened once more, but there was less fear there and more hesitance now. “What?”

“You heard me. Scott stays over a lot so there’s always a spare mattress, you can use that tonight. What do you think?”

“I…I…” Isaac snapped his mouth shut, hunched in on himself with one hand rubbing the back of his neck, then looked up nervously. He looked suspicious, as if he didn’t trust Sheriff Stilinski to be telling the truth. But after a few moments of staring and frowning, he sunk his teeth into his lower lip and nodded once. “Please.”

Sheriff Stilinski smiled. “Go and get what you need,” he ordered gently. Isaac nodded again and shot off into the sitting room. Sheriff Stilinski watched him go, smile fading as he rubbed his hands across his face. Even now he knew that he wouldn’t have the stomach to ask Isaac to leave.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it!


End file.
